How to get to Moab?

We have so many cyclists registering for our Skinny Tire Festival and Moab Century Tour events for 2022 - and we’re pumped! With those registrations, comes a lot of questions about traveling to Moab. Which we understand, if you have never been here before, you may find we are a bit…rural. We like it that way. :)

But you may be surprised at just how easy it is to get here - by car, by plane, or even by train, and what those options entail.

That’s why we have put together some traveling tips for you so that your next trip to Moab - even if it’s your first for our event - is your best yet!

Tip: How to Fly Into Moab

In the past 21 years of putting on cycling events in Moab, we have had participants from every state attend. And not all of them are down for the 4-6 day road trip it may take to get here, with their bikes in tow.

For a long time, the only reliable way to fly into Moab was to book a flight into our Colorado neighbor, the Grand Junction Regional Airport. This can still be a good option, as GJ has many airlines that fly in and out daily and a few different car rental options. (click to view car rental companies.)

United & Delta Fly into Moab (CNY)

New in 2021, now both United Airlines and Delta Airlines fly directly in and out of Moab - every day! Yes, this means you could book a flight through any service you like (The airline, Kayak, Priceline, etc) and land at Moab’s Canyonlands Field Airport, just north of Moab. Simply look for the destination code CNY when trying to book a flight.

Pro Tip: The airport is about 25 minutes north of town, so arranging transportation ahead of time is a good idea. If you want to fly directly into Moab, but don’t want to incur the cost of a rental car, consider taking a shuttle with Moab Express from the airport to your lodging destination.

You can also take the Amtrak Train into the Green River Train Station, and arrange for a scheduled shuttle.

Tip: Flying & Bikes

Okay, so we know you can’t book an extra seat for your bike - so how are you going to cycle with us if you are flying in? We have some ideas! Here is the shortlist:

Fly With Your Bike
Ship Your Bike Ahead of Time
Rent a Bike

Flying with Bikes
Many airlines allow you to fly with a packaged (or bagged) bike, though it is best to check with your airlines ahead of time to ensure proper packing, cost, etc. This article has some great tips regarding flying with a bike.

Ship Your Bike

Alternatively, if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of getting your bike to the airport, you can try a service like Bike Flights or Ship Bikes to ship your bike. You can also try going to your local UPS Store or FedEx location and shipping your bike directly with them. The folks at Complete Tri have a handy article about shipping bikes, best ways to pack the bike, costs, tips, etc.

Pro Tip: If you already know your lodging destination, give them a call and see if they would be OK with receiving your bike shipment ahead of time. Alternatively, you could check with our local copy and shipping center to see about the same thing, as this will most likely be where you ship your bike back home from as well (if using FedEx or UPS.)

Rent a Road Bike

While many bikes you see in the Moab area tend to be fatter than we prefer them to be [grin], it is still possible to get your hands on a fantastic road bike for our events in the area! Here are our suggested places to rent a road bike in Moab:

Bike Fiend, Moab, Utah

The great folks at Bike Fiend have been renting road bikes to our cyclists for years. They are located in downtown Moab. Check out this Trip Advisor Review from some previous attendees of the Skinny Tire Festival.

Chili Pepper Bike Shop, Moab, Utah

If you are flying into GJ and need to rent a bike for the event, consider swinging by Brown Cycles or Ruby Canyon Cycles.

Brown Cycles, Grand Junction, Colorado

Ruby Canyon Cycles, Grand Junction

Pro Tip: The earlier you reach out about renting a bike with one of these businesses, the more likely it is they will have one to rent to you.

Tip: Driving To Moab

You’ve been couped up at (or close to) home for the last two years, you’ve trained for our event, and you are excited for your road trip to Moab- We don’t blame you! Turns out getting to Moab can be just as fun and scenic as being in Moab…OK…well…maybe not AS scenic and fun, but pretty darn close! Driving into Moab can offer some incredible views and large stretches of very little regarding services and amenities. Below are some suggested spots to know.

From the North

If you will be traveling into Moab from Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota or parts of northern Nevada, you will most likely be coming through Salt Lake City and southeast to get to us.

It’s worth noting that once you get off I-15 and onto Highway 6 in the Spanish Fork area of Utah, a couple of things to take note of:

Spanish Fork is your last opportunity for that coffee, smoothie, or gas fill-up for a little bit.
The road will start to get curvier, winds upwards, and then…down-wards.

Because of the immediate increase in altitude change, we always recommend our cyclists check the weather before leaving Spanish Fork and heading up over what is known as Soldiers Summit. Ironically, the reason it is named Soldier Summit has a lot to do with our “check the weather” tip. Read more about it here.

After winding back down from Soldier Summit the next area you drive through will be Price, Helper, and Wellington, before being on another long desolate stretch of highway 6 where you will notice you have left the mountains and entered the desert. If you forgot to gas up in Spanish Fork, Wellington is your next best place. This remaining stretch of Highway 6 can be beautiful as you inch closer to Hwy70 towards Moab, but stay aware! This 2-lane highway tends to travel at a fast pace.

Pro Tip: If you have extra time on your drive, consider a detour into the quaint town of Green River, Utah. Conveniently located off of Highway I70, and just 30 minutes(ish) outside of Moab, Green River has a lot of charm, a fun little state park, and a place we like to get a burger after a good long hike, Ray’s Tavern.

From the West

Heading to Moab from California, Las Vegas or somewhere in between? You aren’t alone! We always have a great contingency from the west at our events. We’ll let Google Maps tell you where you can get gas between Los Angeles all the way through St George. But here are a couple of stops you might not have planned but will want to:

Virgin River Canyon - This narrow bit of canyon you drive through comes at that perfect moment where you are done with the wide highways and billboards and itching for that feeling of the backcountry. Mark it on your map as a possible place to park the car, stretch the legs, and see a beautiful bit of canyon and river.
Chuckwalla Trailhead - Pretty close to I-70 in St George, a climbing, hiking and mountain biking area - great place to stop and eat that packed lunch or stretch the legs for a few miles before continuing your drive to Moab.
Richfield, Utah - Your last spot for a big box store before Moab, if that’s your sort of thing. :)

Pro Tip: See our tip above about stopping in Green River once you are on I-70.

From the East

Joining us from anywhere east of Denver? Awesome! You have a great adventure in front of you. Nothing like watching the country change from the east coast cities and pines, to the prairies and cornfields of the midwest, to reaching Colorado and thinking “boy, this sure does look just like Kansas”, to reaching the western side of Colorado and seeing the steep mountain tops, to driving over and down the mountain passes and watching the green mountains morph into red rock canyons.

The drive from Denver proper up and over the mountain passes and past the ski resorts can be both stunning and scary. This stretch gets another **CHECK THE WEATHER FIRST** tip from us, as the weather in that stretch can change as quickly as your lung capacity heading up “the big nasty.” Good bail out spots (for fun or for safety!) is the Vail resort area and the Silverthorne Lodge area (gas, restaurants, outlet malls, and a fun little river walk.)

Three hours, 2 mountain passes, and one narrow canyon section after Denver, you will find yourself in Glenwood Springs - but don’t blink, the exits go by QUICKLY, you will wish you had stopped and will realize the next exit is just far enough to say “nah, let’s just keep going.”

Here is what’s great about Glenwood Springs:

It’s a great place to book a room for a night, only 3.5 hours from here to Moab.
They have hot springs!
They have amazing food and a quaint little downtown area to walk.
They have The Pullman. Must. Eat. Here. So so good.

Take The Scenic Route
You have made it through the mountain passes, ate at the Pullman, passed by and gassed up in Grand Junction, and Siru informs you - 90 more minutes to Moab. Wahoo! It may feel silly, adding to your already lengthy road trip, but trust us when we tell you:

Take The Scenic Route.

The scenic route is taking Highway 128 off of I-70 instead of the more direct route, Highway 191. This will add 30 minutes to your drive - but that’s only if you don’t stop to take pictures. This route will take you through what looks like a ghost town in Cisco (read this great article how one woman bought the ghost town and turned it into an artist residency program), low lying desert prairie, and eventually will start weaving through stunning red rock canyon country as you link up with the Colorado River and drive along with it all the way into Moab. You will lose cell service, but you won’t care, as you will be glad to turn your phone into a photographer. You will even drive by Red Cliffs Lodge, a scenic lunch location during both the Skinny Tire Festival and Moab Century Tour.

Final Thoughts

We hope this guide helps provide more travel options into Moab, and things to see along the way! No matter how you travel to Moab, it will always be a memorable adventure.

A great online resource has been put together for those new to Moab, at discovermoab.com - This website is a treasure trove of lodging, eating, renting, sightseeing and anything else you can think of - information. Well worth your time to sift through this website to help plan your trip.

Now is the time to register for the 2022 Skinny Tire Festival or Moab Century Tour - Put the epic event on your calendar now, plan the trip and travel, and train all winter for a bucket-list style event. We hope you will join us.

Learn more about Skinny Tire Festival

Learn more about Moab Century Tour